Tag: lime

Ginger and lime cookies, perfect for Christmas
19Dec

Ginger and lime cookies

I fell in love with ginger not so long ago. My husband urged me to try the famous Mcvitie’s Jamaican Ginger Cake and I was unable to stop at one slice only. It has since become my second favourite cake after the carrot cake from the Hummingbird Bakery which we had our wedding. After the Jamaican cake my views of baking with ginger changed dramatically, before I would never venture out of savoury dishes when using ginger. This recipe calls for ginger in syrup, don’t even try to use powdered ginger or any other form of ginger, you just wouldn’t get the fiery kick rounded up by chewy sweetness. And don’t be scared by the icing, it’s super easy, you only need 3 ingredients and a piping bag. It flows easily onto the biscuit and any mistakes on the design can be rubbed off with a dab of water on your fingers. Ginger and lime cookies (yields 20-25 cookies) Biscuit base: 200g butter 100g caster sugar zest of 3 limes 360g plain flour 180g stem ginger in syrup (drained), grated 1. Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer, add grated ginger and zest. 2. Using a paddle attachment add
3 mins read
914 Views
05Jul

Classic vinaigrette

Let’s not talk about Brexit today. Let’s talk about how to make classic vinaigrette.  I have always been confused when I have searched for vinaigrette recipes I get a liquid version of it, like a salad dressing. That’s not the version I grew up to love. I decided to recreate my family’s version of vinaigrette after I got a whiff of cheiro-verde.  Cheiro-verde is what we call the mix of parsley and coriander leaves in Brazil. You’ll often find the market sells this mixture together. The smell is a throwback one for me, if you add cumin and the noise of a pressure cooker, I am right in my grandma’s kitchen. So this is the recipe with the classic vinaigrette I have always known, with cheiro-verde. In my opinion it’s better than a salad dressing, you can add it to anything: rice, couscous, quinoa, salads and even as a side to grilled sausages. Classic vinaigrette (serves 4-6) 100g cherry tomatoes  1 small red onion  Bunch of flat parsley  Bunch of coriander  Juice of 2 limes 30ml olive oil Salt to taste 1. Finely chop the onion, tomatoes and herbs and place it all in a bowl 2. In a separate bowl
2 mins read
750 Views
24May

Blueberry muffins with lime streusel

When people ask if I have a hobby I answer “baking”. Sounds like a cop out but I really don’t have the want to put my time into much else. My husband is a diver, which is a genuine hobby in my eyes, and one that requires you to have genuinely expensive equipment. Sure, the type of diving equipment you buy can make a life or death difference, but I have argued with his diver friends that baking trumps diving when it comes to cost. Obviously they rolled on the floor laughing after I said that, but until you become a serious baker, you’ll never understand how expensive it is to trial new recipes. Sure you can eat the products of your hobby, but all the testing I have done recently makes my freezer look like a cake morgue. In this muffin recipe I like to lightly poke the blueberries, I find this is a nice trick so that your blueberries don’t sick to the bottom. This recipe developed from a cherry cheesecake muffin that ended up exploding in my oven (currently in the freezer). Don’t you agree baking can beat many other hobbies in the money stakes? Blueberry muffin
3 mins read
687 Views
28Sep

Amaretto sour

I am not a big drinker, have never been, in Brazil growing up in family gathering everyone just seemed to drink beer. It was too hot for wine. Also soon after I became of legal age I moved to England so my experience of alcoholic drinks really started here. And to say the English enjoy alcohol is an understatement. In college the boys mainly stick to Ales, Lagers and Bitters while girls dilute the alcohol in shandies and spritzers and your good old alcopops. University was a bit more hardcore, people would buy cheap vodka and cheap wine and make all kinds of concoctions with cranberry juice and coke and get whole pitchers of Vodka Red Bull. Jack Daniels was an absolute treat at a house party.  Found a bit tough to fit in as I don’t particularly like the taste of alcohol, I find beer and wine unbearable and don’t even get me started on people drinking stuff neat. I was once flirting with a boy at a party and he thought of himself as a whisky connoisseur, when I showed disdain for the neat drink he started mixing it with apple juice and all sorts to show me how
3 mins read
595 Views
25Aug

Lime and lemon tart

Exactly a year ago my friends got married and some of the guests brought to the reception a cake or tart to have a traditional Kaffee und Kuchen as it is known here in Germany. Coffee and cake often happens at around 3pm when families and friends meet up to eat something sweet. So a few days before the wedding I gave this a lot of thought and in the end decided on a lime and lemon tart, my husband’s favourite. At the reception there were several lovely cakes, but most of them with very simple decorations. And in less tan 5 minutes my tart was all gone and the few that had tried it were so impressed by it that they left the guests who hadn’t tried any feeling a tad frustrated. Do I need to say that I loved to hear all the compliments?!? My husband and I have been trying for months to have a get together, a garden party for friends as we have something very important to celebrate: I am pregnant and in four weeks we’ll finally meet this little boy who has been kicking my ribs for months. But my hormones made me cancel
3 mins read
1049 Views
20Jun

Mango Caipiroska

It has been a busy week, I have worked 40 hours on top of going to University (I am currently studying to become a nurse) and it was hard to juggle both, let alone think of a social life.  My long hours have meant I have missed a few of the world cup matches, thankfully I have caught glimpses of a few matches while some of my patients were watching it. I rushed home yesterday to catch the second half of the England match (they have a special place in my heart) and was so nervous watching it, almost as nervous when Brazil plays, but they disappointed me when they lost yesterday. But on a brighter note our Seleção has kept their momentum and I can’t wait for our game on Monday. This Caipiroska is the perfect drink for this coming week, not only because of its glorious colours (!) and I am so excited to tell you guys about it! Caipiroska is a vodka version of Caipirinha. For those who don’t know what Caipirinha is, it is one of Brazil’s biggest exports and my favourite drink. It is kinda like a Mojito but better (sorry, Cuba). It is made with Cachaça, a liquor made
3 mins read
791 Views